


The Promise and the Threat

by dementorsatemysoup



Category: Shameless (US)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Bipolar Disorder, Derogatory Language, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hints of Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Season Four Rewrite
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-18
Updated: 2015-01-24
Packaged: 2018-03-08 01:15:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,795
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3190328
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dementorsatemysoup/pseuds/dementorsatemysoup
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They spend six months together before shit hits the fan...</p>
<p>((AKA The AU where Mickey and Ian run away together during 3 x 11 because why the hell not))</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> For arguments sake, let's just say Mandy is a couple minutes late when she comes looking for Mickey. Clearly more needed to be said between Mickey and Ian, and if Mandy hadn't shown up when she did who knows what would have happened. So yeah.
> 
> I'm going to probably have to rewatch season four while writing this, so I know what points to change and which ones to keep the same. We'll see where this story goes.
> 
> Thanks for reading.

"Hey!" Mandy's head snaps towards the voice, her eyes settling on Terry. "Where's that good for nothing brother of yours?"

"I don't know," Mandy responds, shrugging her shoulders.

"He went into the kitchen," Iggy supplies vaguely, his eyes jumping from one cleavage to the next, the lust practically pouring off of him in waves.

"I'll get him," Mandy offers with a scoff, already turning towards the direction her brother indicated, maneuvering around the wedding guests. She still has mixed feelings about this wedding; still thinks her brother's making a huge mistake. She doesn't understand why men are so willing to throw their lives away for a little bit of pussy. First Lip, then Mickey. What next? Is Ian going to run off and join the army?

She pushes open the door to the kitchen, expecting to see her brother smoking a cigarette or something, but the main area is empty save for Mickey's bowtie lying on the floor. She stoops down, picking it up, slowly wandering around, seeking out her brother. She does a complete circle around the kitchen, but she doesn't find Mickey. She tries outside, but the only thing she finds is a crushed cigarette butt and bits of trash.

She heads back inside, a little concerned. She returns to the main hall, seeking out Iggy. He's sitting in the same place, not even bothering to hide the tent in his pants, and Mandy can't help rolling her eyes. Her brothers are disgusting.

"Hey, can I borrow your phone?" she asks and he nods, handing it over, his eyes still tracking Svetlana's friends. Mandy walks away from him, scrolling through her brother's contacts and hitting send on Mickey's number. It rings once before going to voicemail. She dials Ian's next, figuring he might have seen her brother, but his phone goes straight to voicemail, too. She could try Lip, but she's pretty sure he doesn't want to talk to her, and she's not exactly in the mood to talk to him either.

"Did you find him?" Colin appears at her side, and Mandy turns, shaking her head. "Dad's gonna be pissed."

Mandy's eyes settle on their father, his back to her, talking to some of his friends, and she states, "Yeah. He is."  _Mickey, where the fuck are you?_

* * *

They are halfway to Ohio when the magnitude of what they're doing hits Mickey. He slams on the brakes, the tires screeching beneath them, and it takes some quick thinking on Ian's part to get them off the highway before another car can rear end them. The vehicle barely comes to a complete stop before Mickey throws it into park, shoving his door wide open, and practically rolls out of the car.

He stalks away, trying to catch his breath, unzipping the hoodie he had changed into when he and Ian stopped by his place to get his shit (and he's lucky neither his family nor Ian's were home or someone would have tried to stop them). He paces back and forth, trying to still his shaking hands, chewing on his lip. He wishes he had a cigarette, but he'd smoked his last one at that rest stop just outside of Illinois.

"Hey," Ian says gently, gripping his shoulders, stopping him mid-pace. "What's wrong?"

"What are we doing?" Mickey demands, clenching his hands into fists. "W-we have to go back." He shrugs off Ian's hands, walking back towards the car. Terry's going to find them; he's going to find them and he's going to make Mickey watch as he kills Ian. It's the same threat he made when he told Mickey to marry Svetlana; the same threat he makes every night, the moment before Mickey wakes from his nightmares, shaking and covered in sweat. He can't watch Ian die; he won't."

"Hey." Ian's in front of him, grabbing his shoulders again. He waits until Mickey meets his eyes before quietly asking, "Do you want to go back?"

"It's not what..."

"Do _you_ want to go back," Ian repeats slowly, stressing the word 'you.' Clearly, he's all in; he's willing to do whatever Mickey wants, regardless of where they end up. And Mickey's not used to this; not used to making these types of decisions. He's never  _not_ done what he's wanted, but he's always had limitations; always had to make sure Terry would approve before making a decision. He had to constantly keep his head about things otherwise Terry could very well murder him in his sleep. But right here, right now, Ian is giving him a limitless choice; asking him what he wanted without expecting anything in return, and Mickey doesn't know how to answer.

Going home would result in a marriage he doesn't want to a woman he doesn't give a shit about; the same woman that left him feeling unclean and uncomfortable in his own skin for weeks after their first encounter (all courtesy of Terry 'father of the fucking year' Milkovich). He's returning to a kid he doesn't want; to a life he doesn't want; to a father he wishes were dead half the time. The only person he's leaving behind, and it hurts to even think about it, is Mandy, but he also knows his sister doesn't need protection. She's been taking care of herself since she's been five, could practically kick his ass. She'd be okay without him for a while.

His blue eyes settle on Ian's green ones, and he wets his lips, hoarsely saying, "I ain't moving to fucking Connecticut."

Ian grins, a bright, beaming smile, and surges forward, pressing his lips to Mickey's. He wants to return the kiss, wants to pretend for a second they're a normal couple, who can show affection in the street, but years of living in fear of his homophobic father killing him for who he is can't be reversed overnight, so he breaks the kiss and says, "Let's get outta here."

* * *

They end up in Philadelphia, checking into some fleabag motel.They eat a hearty meal of vending machine food, and nearly break the kitchenette table fucking against it. It's liberating, freeing even, not having to worry about Terry for the night. In the morning, when Mickey wakes up with Ian's octopus limbs wrapped around him, his first instinct is to panic, is to shove Ian off and get as far away from him as possible, but he pushes those feelings aside, closing his eyes, and soon he's asleep again.

They stay at that motel for a couple days, but Ian (the responsible one) brings up the fact that they need jobs. He also makes a point to charge up both of their phones, neither one having checked any of their messages since leaving, and Ian jokes about Fiona probably having a search party out looking for him. Mickey would love more than anything to make the same joke, but he's pretty sure Terry actually does have people looking for him; he wouldn't put it past his dad.

Mandy has texted him sixteen times, left eight voicemails, and sounds pissed when he finally calls her. He's vague on the details, telling her he had to get away for a while, and promises to keep in touch.

" _When are you coming home?"_  she asks before they hang up, her voice smaller than he's used to, and the question throws Mickey. He hadn't given it much thought, too preoccupied with getting here in one piece to make any concrete plans, so he vaguely says, "I'll let you know when I do."

" _Alright."_ He expects her to hang up, but her next question catches him off guard, too. " _Have you seen Ian? His family's been looking for him."_

Mickey glances over at the red head, watching as he sits on the counter, arguing with Fiona. He could lie, could tell his sister he hasn't seen Ian, ask why he should care where he's gone, but the words stick in his throat. He watches the way Ian runs his hand through his hair, frustrated, his heels knocking against the cabinet. Even angry he's sexy; beautiful in a way Mickey can't begin to comprehend. He wonders what Gallagher even sees in him.

"He's with me," Mickey says softly, not making the conscious decision to tell his sister.

" _What?"_

He clears his throat and repeats, a bit louder, "Ian's with me." Ian's head snaps up at Mickey's words, his eyes widening in surprise.

"Fi, I have to call you back," he says, hanging up.

"Mands, I'll call you back."

They succeed in breaking the table that time.

* * *

They spend Christmas in another motel, this one dingier than the last, looking for jobs. Ian carefully approaches the subject of getting their GEDs, but Mickey argues against it. He's not above Ian getting his; the kid needs something to fall back on, but Mickey's not smart enough. He doesn't need another failure added to his already extensive list. So he settles for some low level job working at a burger joint, hates every minute of it, but keeps going back every single day.

Ian finds a job working in a cafe, while looking into GED classes. He keeps leaving brochures where Mickey can find them, up until the older boy blows up and tells him to stop. What follows is the worst fight they've had since they decided to leave Chicago, ending with Ian storming out, slamming the door behind him. Mickey waits up until three, but eventually falls asleep, only waking up when he feels Ian slip into bed with him around five.

"Where ya been?" he asks groggily, wincing when Ian's cold hands touch his stomach.

He feels a pair of lips press against the back of his neck and Ian whispers, "I went for a walk." He's quiet for a long moment, and Mickey actually thinks he's gone to sleep, but Ian softly says, "I'm sorry for pushing you. I just..." he trails off, sighing. "You're not stupid, Mick." Mickey grunts, frustrated, but Ian presses on, "You're not. Just think about it." Ian's asleep a few moments later, but Mickey stays awake until his phone's alarm goes off, a reminder that he has to go back to his crappy job.

The following day, he signs up for GED classes with Ian, telling him to stop grinning like an idiot.

* * *

They find a crappy apartment in mid-February. They can  _just barely_ afford the deposit and the first and last months' rent, but they can't exactly buy any furniture, so they spend the first six weeks sleeping on the mothy sofa that came with the apartment. Over time, little by little, they buy IKEA crap and argue over how exactly to put it together until their apartment is full of lopsided bookshelves, a wobbly coffee table, and a TV stand that has yet to house a TV (not that Mickey would trust a TV on it; he's pretty sure it's missing half the pieces).

Around March, they get their GED results back, and to Mickey's astonishment he actually passed. He did better in math than English, numbers always coming easier to him than grammar, but it's a bonafide paper saying he's not another southside loser too lazy to do anything with his life. Ian buys two plastic picture frames and hangs both of their results up, looking at them proudly, and, if Mickey's being honest, he's proud of them, too.

In April, he quits working at the burger joint and gets a job as a trash collector. He comes home smelling like garbage every night, but he gets benefits so he's not complaining. Ian decides he wants to take some online classes, get his degree, and soon their apartment is full of applications and catalogs for local community colleges. To Mickey's relief, Ian doesn't pressure him into taking any classes with him, but Mickey does offer to help Ian with any math homework he may or may not get.

A week later, Lip calls and tells Ian that Liam almost died.

* * *

After Liam's accident, Ian stays in constant contact with his family, getting updates whenever he can get one of his siblings on the phone. He wants to go back to Chicago, see his brother in person, and Mickey's not going to stop him, but Ian won't go without the older boy. Mickey isn't ready to go back to the old neighborhood; isn't ready to face his father. He's not sure if he'll ever be ready.

He texts Mandy occasionally, just to let her know he's alive, and she tries to update him on their family, but he ceases communication when she brings Terry up. She seems to have accepted the whole 'he and Ian as a couple' thing; no doubt keeping Ian's secret all these years helping her big time in accepting her brother. She does make plans to come see them, soon, but they always seem to fall through; her job and her new boyfriend getting in the way. Mickey won't admit it, but he wishes she would come visit; he misses her.

In mid-May, Ian starts coming home later than usual, usually smelling like alcohol and pot. He claims he's hanging out with a few people from work, even invites Mickey along on one of their bar hops, but Mickey's job requires surprise drug tests so he can't exactly go out and get high whenever he wants anymore, and he gets up too early so his nights are usually spent in bed by ten (and the fact that he's turned into a grumpy old man isn't lost on him).

Things get worse over time, Ian becomes more erratic, talking too fast and constantly moving; barely sleeping. He stops showing up for work, his boss calling Mickey late-May and asking if Ian's been sick. He's starting to get worried, and he considers calling one of the Gallaghers, seeing if they know what's wrong with Ian. He actually has Fiona's number mostly dialed into his phone one night before Ian bursts into their apartment, straddling his hips, and he forgets about the call; more concerned with the tongue shoved down his throat.

It all comes to a head in June. Mickey's alarm goes off at five-thirty, the same time every morning, and he shuts it off, sitting up. He turns, intending to run his hand through Ian's hair, but his fingers find an empty, cold space. A little worried, Mickey stumbles out of bed and heads into the living room, expecting to find Ian passed out on the couch (it wouldn't the the first time), but that's empty, too. He tries calling Ian, but his phone goes straight to voicemail. Frustrated, Mickey gets ready for work, figuring Ian stayed over at one of his friends' houses, and he would be home when Mickey returned from work.

When he gets home, Mickey is more than a little worried when he finds Ian still missing. He takes a quick shower, changes into his street clothes, and starts patrolling Ian's recent haunts, hoping someone has seen him, but he comes up empty. He even tries the police (something that he wouldn't have even considered six months ago), but the best they can do is file a missing person's report (naturally they're fucking useless). He calls the hospitals, gets a hold of any police stations in the immediate area, and, much to his dismay, the morgue, but no one has seen Ian.

Mickey doesn't sleep that night, spending the entire time staring at his phone, expecting Ian to call. Around four, he's pulled from a very light doze by his phone buzzing against the coffee table. He sits up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, grabbing his cell. He checks the screen, Debbie's name flashing back at him, and he grunts, "Yeah?"

" _Why's Ian here?"_ she asks curiously, worry underlying her tone.

"Wait? He's in Chicago?"

" _Yeah, he showed up tonight. Did you two have a fight?"_

"No," Mickey answers shaking his head. "Is he still at your place?"

" _Yeah."_

"Try to keep him there." Mickey stands, heading into his and Ian's room, yanking the dresser open. "I'm coming to get him."

" _Okay."_

When Debbie disconnects, Mickey stares at his clothes for a long moment, feeling numb. He still doesn't know if he's ready for Chicago, but there's something wrong with Ian and he wants to know what; even if he has to face his father again.

It still doesn't stop the fear from slithering down his spin.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I kinda concentrated more on Mickey and Mandy's reunion in this chapter, but I promise Ian and Mickey will see each other again in the next chapter.
> 
> Anyway, thanks for reading last chapter. Thank you to those who commented, kudo'd, and/or subscribed, I'm glad y'all are liking this and here's hoping I'll catch you in the next chapter.
> 
> Enjoy.

_"What do expect us to do? Run away or some shit? 'Cause I ain't Thelma and you sure as fuck ain't Louise," Mickey argues pacing back and forth, loosening his bowtie. It's too tight, and when did the room suddenly get so hot. He has to get out of here, has to get away from Ian before he does something stupid; like actually run away with the kid. “My dad…” Mickey clenches his hands into fists, taking a step towards Ian. He stops, shaking his head, turning around, and whispers, “My dad will find us.”_

_“I’m willing to risk it,” Ian answers and Mickey can hear him shrug._

_“Well I’m not,” he snaps whirling around to face the redhead. “Do you have any idea…?” he trails off, biting his lip. “We can’t.”_

_“We can.”_

_Mickey looks down at his feet and, after a short pause, softly asks, “Where would we go?”_

_“Wherever you want,” Ian answers sounding hopeful. “We can go to the east coast; maybe out west.”_

_“And West Point? The army?” Mickey figures, if he reminds Ian of his crazy dreams, the kid will stop trying to put this insane plan into action._

_“West Point will always be there, so will the army.” He’s suddenly standing directly in front of Mickey, mere inches between them, and ducks down so he can meet the older boy’s eyes. “Let’s just go, right now. You and me.”_

_Mickey almost says no, but the word sticks in his throat. He glances towards the kitchen doorway, the voices faintly drifting into the room from the wedding guests. He hates this wedding, hates what his dad is doing to him, hates that he’s about to lose someone he genuinely cares about because his father is a demented fuck, but the ramifications of doing this could be one-hundred time worse._

_Mickey makes the mistake of meeting Ian’s eyes, the kid silently pleading with him to see things his way, and he feels his resolve crack. Somehow he knows this will be a mistake, but he whispers, “Fuck it.” He yanks his bow over his head, dropping it to the floor, and says, “Come on before I change my mind.” Ian grins, the first smile Mickey's seen from him since the day Terry caught them, and he feels a little less guilty about leaving as the two of them hurry out the back door._

Mickey's eyes snap open, the side of his face pressed against the bus window. He sits up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, warily scanning the immediate area. Everyone seems to be doing their own thing, no one paying too close attention to him, so he lets himself relax just a little, watching the scenery blur by as the bus drives through Indiana cornfields. Growing up in Chicago he can say with certainty that corn is fucking boring.

His boss hadn't exactly been understanding (like Mickey gave a fuck), but he did grant Mickey a week off so he could figure out what the hell's going on with Ian. He had made the call on the walk over to the bus station, Ian having taken their car when he went on his impromptu trip back to Illinois. He probably could have afforded a plane ticket, if he used every cent they had in their measly stash of petty cash, but he figured they'd need that for the return trip to Philadelphia; if Ian even wanted to come back with Mickey.

He leans his head back, closing his eyes. He wants to be surprised that Ian returned to Chicago without telling him, but he knows this has something to do with how Ian has been acting lately. Another step into the void of craziness their lives have been for the past two months. Mickey curls his hand into a fist, punching the empty seat next to him. He should have called Fiona the moment Ian started acting different.

Mickey calls Mandy the moment the bus crosses the Illinois border. She doesn't answer the first time, but she picks up on the second ring when he calls her again. She sounds out of breath when she says, " _What?"_

"What? You don't pick up your fucking phone anymore?" Mickey snaps glaring at the elderly woman giving him a scandalized look. His knuckles literally say 'fuck-u-up,' what the fuck did she expect?

" _I'm doing six things right now, Mick,"_  Mandy answers irritably. She draws in a breath and calmly asks, " _What's up?"_

"Ian took off to Chicago yesterday, didn't tell me, and I'll be at the bus station in another hour," Mickey responds quickly, recapping the short version; they'd have time for him to go into details later.

" _What? Why didn't you...?"_ A baby starts crying in the background, cutting his sister off, and she sighs. He hears her walk across the room, and the cries get a little louder as she, most likely, picks up the kid. She hums for a moment, quieting the baby, before asking, _"Do you know which bus station?"_

Mickey doesn't answer, staring at the back of the bus seat, a shudder running through him. Unless Mandy had been keeping a  _huge_ secret from everyone, it looks like Svetlana actually had the kid. He squeezes his eyes shut, trying to block out the memories of that day. Terry finding them, pointing his gun at Ian when he tried to make a run for it, most likely in an attempt to get some form of help (not that it would have mattered), his dad calling in 'The Russian,' Svetlana showing up...

_" **She's gonna fuck the faggot out of you, kid."**_

" _Mickey!"_

He jerks out of the memory, trying to catch his breath, unzipping his hoodie with more force than necessary, the bus suddenly sweltering. He runs a shaking hand down his face, willing himself to calm down, hating how the memories still haunt him almost a year later. When he's calmer, Mandy practically screaming in his ear, he hoarsely snaps, "What?"

" _Are you serious?"_ Mandy states incredulously. " _You_ _sound like your being choked to death and you ask me what? What happened?"_ She sounds worried, and he'd rather not get into it with her right now (if ever), so he tells her which bus station he's going to be at and hangs up. He spends the rest of the bus ride glaring out the window, fighting off memories of the day Terry found out about him and Ian, and failing miserably.

When the pulls into the station, Mickey waits until all of the other passenger get off before getting to his feet. He doesn't want to be here, already misses his and Ian's crappy apartment, even if Mrs. Fisher's kids hammer on their door at six in the morning on Sundays, and their neighbor Reggie makes their apartment smell like fried onions every time he makes them. It's been home to them, for the past four months, and Mickey'd rather wake up in their too small bed, with Ian's octopus limbs clinging to him, having this all been a horrible dream then get off this bus.

"End of the line, buddy," the bus driver says, looking back at Mickey. "This bus ain't leaving again until ten tomorrow morning, so you're gonna have to get off now."

"Alright, alright." He's Mickey fucking Milkovich; if he can square off against dudes who are a head taller and fifty pounds heavier than him he can face Chicago again. He picks up his bag, slings it over his shoulder, and gets off the bus.

* * *

Mandy hears a sneeze from the backseat, turning to check on her nephew. He grins at her, kicking his little feet, and she smiles back, wiggling her fingers at him. He reaches for her, wrapping his hand around her index finger, and waves it up and down before putting it in his mouth. She had tried to catch Debbie, see if she could watch Yev (and maybe see Ian), but she hadn't been home, and Svetlana wouldn't be back from work until late, so she had no choice but to bring him along. She knows Mickey won't like it, but whatever happened to her brother is not Yev's fault.

She glances over her shoulder, craning her neck, trying to see if her brother's bus had gotten there yet. She wonders how much he's changed in six months; how much he's stayed the same. From their phone conversations, he seemed good, in a better place, but twenty minutes isn't a lot of time when you actually thought about it. There's so much Mandy doesn't know; hasn't seen, and she's actually a little nervous. It also makes her wonder, if Ian hadn't gone AWOL would Mickey even bother coming back home?

When her brother told her Ian's in town, she almost didn't believe him because there's no way Ian would come back to Chicago without first telling her or his family. She's sure Debbie would have mentioned Ian's return at some point; especially since she watches Yev during summer daycare and sees Mandy nearly every day. She also doubts Ian wouldn't tell Mickey; the last time she talked to her best friend he offhandedly commented on how he and Mickey rarely kept secrets. So, what exactly is going on with Ian to cause him to hide this from Mickey?

She spots her brother maneuvering around a crowd of people, his face is neutral but his eyes are a mix between fierce determination and scared shitless. It's clear, he does not want to be back here, and Mandy can't help feeling a little sad. She'd be lying if she hadn't secretly wished her brother and Ian would come back to Chicago, but she knows Terry would kill them both the moment he saw them.

When Mickey gets to the car, she watches as he freezes, his eyes flickering back at Yev. Uncertainty flits across his face and he looks like he wants to bolt, but he reels it in pretty quickly and gets in the car, shoving his bag between his legs.

"Hey," Mandy greets, pulling him into a hug.

"Hey," he repeats returning it, but he's stiff and she can feel him glancing back at Yev again. She releases him, starting the car, and waits for a truck to pass before pulling out of her parking space.

It's quiet for the first fifteen minutes, but eventually Mickey clears his throat and asks, "So, uh, that's the kid?" The fact that he's even acknowledging his son takes Mandy by surprise; she actually thought he'd ignore Yev the entire ride home.

"Yeah," Mandy answers glancing back at her nephew. "Yevgeny."

"What the fuck kind of name is Yevgeny?"

"Svetlana named him after her father."

"An honor he deserves, I'm sure," Mickey states under his breath, sarcasm practically dripping off his words.

They fall silent again, and Mandy takes the time to actually study her brother. His hair is longer than the last time she saw him, combed back to keep it off his face, and his clothes are cleaner. In fact, everything about him is cleaner, a far cry from the boy who used to shower only when Mandy forced him to, holding the door knob and ignoring his angry screams at her to let him out of the bathroom, only letting the knob go when she heard the water turn on. The Milkovich boys weren't exactly known for their good hygiene, something more than one teacher had complained about on several occasions over the years, but it seems six months with Ian has changed her brother.

"So, uh, how've you been?" Mickey asks quietly, still staring out the window.

"Couldn't complain," Mandy answers shrugging, taking the onramp onto the highway. "Been working mostly, trying to keep Iggy and Colin from setting the house on fire, taking care of Yev when Svetlana's working..."

"I'm sure getting plowed every day is hard work," Mickey mutters chewing on his thumbnail. He's had the habit for as long as Mandy can remember, a nervous tick whenever someone brings something up he doesn't want to talk about, and Mandy has a feeling he doesn't want to talk about Svetlana anymore than he wants to talk about his son, so she decides to change the subject.

"What've you been up to?" she asks carefully, passing a white Sedan. "Last time we talked, you were looking for a new job."

"I found one."

"Doing what?"

"Trash collecting," Mickey answers slowly, lifting a shoulder.

"A garbage man?" Mandy can't help snorting a little, shaking her head back and forth. "So, you're fully legit now?"

"It's not as insane as it sounds," he argues glaring at her. "Besides, it's not exactly hard work. I ride around with some guy named Felix all day, and he's cool just as long as I don't smoke in the truck."

"I just, I never thought I'd see the day," she says lifting one hand defensively. "I mean, I always figured you'd go postal before ever thinking about getting a real job." Mickey huffs, his gaze flitting back towards the window, and Mandy knows the conversation is over. She lets the silence stretch on between them for a good ten minutes before quietly asking, "Why didn't you ever tell me?"

Her brother isn't stupid, he knows exactly what she's talking about, but he still plays dumb and barks, "What the fuck are you talking about?"

"Are you seriously going to make me spell it out for you? You and Ian ran away together, on the day of your wedding, you can't pretend anymore."

He seems to deflate, hunching into himself as he mutters, "Kinda hoped I wouldn't have to."

"You're fucking my best friend," she points out slowly, jabbing a finger in his direction. "Have been for..." she trails off and asks, "Just how long have you and Ian been together?"

"I don't know, since you started 'dating' him or whatever," he replies a little testily.

"That's almost four years." Mandy gives her brother an incredulous look, once again wondering how she never figured any of this out beforehand. She knows there had been signs, bread crumbs scattered around that she should have followed, but she had been caught up in her own shit to really pay attention.

"I guess," Mickey mumbles chewing on his lip.

A very brief pause follows before Mandy whispers, "Dad found out, didn't he?"

"Mandy..."

"I just wanna know," she says quickly, not wanting to fight with Mickey. "I don't need the details, I don't even  _want_ to know the details, just answer my question. He found out, didn't he?"

Mandy doesn't think her brother is going to answer, almost expects him to clam up, but she's surprised when he breaths, "Yeah, he did."

The rest of the ride is completely silent.

* * *

It's a bit surreal, being back home after six months. It hasn't changed at all, there's still garbage in the yard, the back fence is still broken from when Iggy tried to jump it three summers ago, and it even smells the same, but for some reason it doesn't feel like home anymore. At least, not to Mickey. To Mickey it feels like he's being dragged back into Hell, but he reminds himself this is only temporary and he'll be home soon. Now he just has to convince himself to get out of the car

"Dad's in Wisconsin. Won't be home until Saturday," Mandy says softly, clearly picking up on his hesitation. "You'll be fine here until then." Mickey had thought the same thing, a year ago, only to have his father find him and Ian together, so he's having a hard time believing his sister. He feels Mandy rest her hand on his shoulder and she says, "You don't have to stay here, Mick."

He shakes her hand off, opening his door, and gets out of the car. Behind him, he hears Mandy pull the kid out of the car, a small whine emitting from the baby at being disturbed, and Mickey stalks away from the car, shaking off the memories threatening to overtake him again.

**_"She's gonna fuck the faggot out of you, kid."_ **

"You okay?" Mandy asks appearing at his side, the kid on her hip. The kid's blue eyes settle on Mickey and he smiles, reaching for him, but Mickey speeds up, putting as much space as he can between them, ignoring his sister when she calls his name.

He climbs the porch steps but stops right outside the door, his hand hesitating over the doorknob. He has a lot of memories in this place, more bad than good if he really thinks about it, but he's never felt more unwelcome than he does right now. He nearly turns around, wants to run as far from this house as he can and never look back, but he tells himself to suck it up and opens the door.

Inside is a little cleaner than outside, someone clearly taking the time to put some effort into tidying up the place. There's a crib against the wall, a little worse for wear but still usable, and one of those stupid baby walker things sits in the middle of the floor. The cigarette butts that usually littered the carpet have been picked up, replaced by a couple plush toys, and the guns have all been put away. Someone cared enough about the kid to baby proof this place, and Mickey suspects it had probably been Mandy; or a combination of Mandy and possibly Svetlana. She'd seemed excited to be having a kid when he had last seen her; granted he had exactly one conversation with her before taking off and it hadn't exactly been very informative.

"Your room's changed a little bit," Mandy states walking past him, putting the kid in his crib. "Svetlana sorta took over after you left, but you can crash on my floor if you want."

"Whatever."

"I figured we could stop by the Gallaghers in about an hour, see if Ian's back or if they know where he is, maybe check The Alibi." Mandy grips her left arm with her right hand, glancing around the living room. "Welcome home, I guess."

Mickey snorts, carrying his bag to Mandy's room. He isn't home; he's pretty fucking far from home.


End file.
